Georgetown, Guyana , January 14, 2015 (Guyana Chronicle) - Guyana's role in the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) was the topic of discussion when President Donald Ramotar and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon met with the agency’s Executive Director, Ronald Jackson, at the Presidential Complex yesterday. In an invited comment, Jackson said it was his first opportunity to meet with Guyana’s President and he used the occasion to discuss the comprehensive Caribbean Disaster Management Strategy.
This is a 10 – year plan to achieve disaster risk resilience in the Region, he explained. “I also shared with the President the main priorities of Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency for the next three years, and how those priorities are likely to support the people of Guyana and their programme for disaster risk management”. The two also spoke about CDEMA’s management, he said, given that it is an instrument of the 18-member states of CARICOM. There were also discussions on some of the global issues such as the post-2015 development agenda.
Guyana’s Civil Defence Commission (CDC) was described by Jackson as one of the Region’s “bright performers”, particularly over the last three years. The CDC has done a lot of work which he noted was a credit to its leadership, “in looking at its context in a very strategic way, and there have been various strides on both sides of the coin, looking at the prevention side and setting the fundamental groundwork to achieve that, but also strengthening the response coordination” the CARICOM official added.
Jackson also said the CARICOM Region has to accept the fact that, especially in the areas of climate variability and climate change, “the Region is still going to have to be responding to adverse effects of disaster events, not here in Guyana, but supporting the regional response”. CDEMA draws on capacity across its member states to respond to their needs, and since the CDC is building its capacity, he explained this is going towards supporting a regional response.
The CDEMA head will meet with CARICOM and CDC officials during his two-day visit to Guyana.